Paul Allens No 2 yacht - Octopus

My husband and I were having a discussion the other day. If for some reason we want to go somewhere and the Rolls isn’t available, there’s no real problem, we can always use the Aston, the Ferrari or even the Bugatti. But what do we do when the yacht’s not available? I can hardly be expected to transport my nightgowns in some cramped suitcase, or navigate the vulgarities of a commercial airline.

So the solution is of course, buy another yacht. I have to admit, I thought that would be quite an unusual idea, at $100 million or so each, luxury yachts don’t’ exactly grow on trees, but it seems that Paul Allen had the idea before us. In addition to Tatoosh, the 301 foot yacht he purchased in 2001, the Microsoft founder also owns ‘Octopus’  the worlds eighth largest superyacht. Clearly Mr Allen agrees with us that luxury needs backup. Octopus has two helicopters as well as two submarines, so no-ones going to spoil his fun anytime soon.

Of course the good thing about having two is that while you’re using one, the other can be earning. The eldest son of the President of Equitorial Guinea reportedly paid $600,000 to rent Tatoosh for a Christmas cruise.  Just enough to fill up Octopus fuel tanks.

My current favourite, 'Josephine' our Empire style nightgown. Why feel like a queen when you could feel like an Empress?

I recently realised that my closet was simply not luxurious enough for my nightgowns, but what to do? Some valuable paintings for the wall? There’s no wall space left between the hanging rails. It’s a difficult problem, I finally had to choose between a mural for the ceiling, or a brand new gold floor. Or aluminium. Or copper, or (heaven forbid) imitation gold leaf. And the best thing about all these choices is that each is available on sustainable and renewable hardwood, bamboo or engineered wood floors from ecolux.

Sounds good, and should look good too, but I’m wondering if gold is a little vulgar, or maybe too down market? Perhaps I’ll wait until the platinum version is available.

There are no women who don’t like flowers, but remember her prestige is at stake. It’s great to send flowers to her at the office, but not if you send something small. If the lady in your life is the CEO she won’t appreciate getting a single rose if her secretary regularly receives 2 dozen. The best idea here is to find out what she likes and stick to that, or find something unusual which won’t invite a great deal of comparison.  Best of all send a flower which has some personal meaning to you both, for example I don’t care for carnations, but if my husband send me a bouquet of white carnations I’d love it because it would remind me of the wedding lei he bought me on our honeymoon in Hawaii.  If you don’t know her well you might find out the official flower of the state she comes from and send her that – again it’s something personal and shows you went to a little trouble rather than just choosing the first thing you saw on the screen.

Flowers , given properly, are very romantic, but remember that they don’t last. Roses, especially, can be very disappointing, lasting only a few days, though there are some companies that offer unusual rose arrangements which make quite a statement.

Perfume can also be a problem. There are simply too many to choose from and choice is a very personal thing.  The simplest thing to do here is either just to buy a lovely set of which ever perfume she currently favors, or to consult with the sephora fragrance finder.  The fragrance finder uses the fragrance she wears now to predict others she will like, and people say it is pretty reliable. Be aware the every persons skin reacts slightly differently with scent, what smells very very good on one woman, might smell ghastly on the next. My view is that unless you know her well and are buying something you know she has tried and wants, give perfume a miss.

Jewels are a good choice, but can be expensive.  Buying costume jewelry is fine when you are in a long term relationship, but it’s not the right message for someone you’ve recently met and want to impress.   Good jewelry tends to be expensive, but there are items which are a safe bet.  Every women needs a string of pearls and few women will say no to another, even if she already owns one.  Styles are always changing as are colors. A single strand of pearls 18 to 20 inches in a medium size is ideal for most women, but if you’re feeling extravagant, a multistrand twisted necklace is a fabulous gift. But beware of size. We forget the jewelry has sizes; the 16 inch strands used for necklaces these days will strangle a lot of women and cause a great deal of expense (having it made bigger) or disappointment if that isn’t possible.

Beautiful lingerie and sleepwear are items most men want to buy for their wives and girlfriends, but fail to, either because they don’t know where to find them, or they are looking for the wrong thing.

For women sleepwear is not just about sex. Sleepwear is about romance. Most women feel romantic in a long flowing nightgown.  Do you know what her fantasies are? Does she have a yen for Mr Darcy? If so a regency style nightgown would be a good idea. Feed her fantasies and it is far more likely that she’ll feed yours! Does she believe you when you say she has fabulous legs? If so a babydoll style might be ideal. If she works hard all day some lounging pajamas are a great way to help her change rolls, from workaholic woman to personal playmate.

Lingerie and sleepwear sizes can be a problem. The designer companies rarely sell anything above a size 12 or 14, and since the average american woman falls outside that range it’s likely that they don’t sell the right size for the woman in your life.

In that case use a made to measure service. There’s no need to worry about her size, you can add a touch of mystery and romance to your gift giving by becoming a ‘secret admirer’

Whichever gift you choose, women love to see their gifts well wrapped.  Use a lovely gift box, add paper and a bow, or at the least wrap in tissue and put it in a decorative  present bag.

If it’s any consolation,  your problem isn’t nearly as bad as hers, most women have absolutely no clue what to buy for the man in their lives!  You could always solve her problem by  suggesting she buy herself lingerie, as a present to you!

Stainless Steel and Swarovski Crystal Christmas Tree Stand

I am not yet ready for Christmas. This seems to me to be deeply wrong. If I were still in the UK I’d have already placed my order with Marks and Spencer and Foreman and Field, the menu would be organised and I’d be thinking about the decorations and the tree, since advent is almost upon us.

Here in the USA I am lost. There is this thing called thanksgiving which seems to get in the way, and worse still thanksgiving fare seems to be Turkey and all the trimmings. In that case what do we do for Christmas dinner? Surely it’s not the same?

So, in the hope someone will enlighten me, I’ll get on with planning the tree. Nothing flashy this year, though I thought this might make a nice stand. It’s very very sparkly, due to all those lovely swarovski crystals. I’ve got just the nightgown and robe to go with it.

I thought I’d play it safe and just go for the most expensive, after all, you get what you pay for. At $215,000 for the bottle (yes, that’s two hundred and fifteen thousand dollars) Imperial Majesty should be a safe bet. It’s a limited edition,  and it’s a big bottle (16.9 ounces) but the major value is actually in the bottle, made from baccarat crystal, and the 5 carat diamond in the 18 carat gold collar of the bottle. Given that, and the fact that there are actually 10 bottles in existence (not excluisve enough), I think I’ll pass.

My actual favourite (in case anyone is reading this who really wants to buy me some, hint hint) is Creed’s Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie, and it’s a snip at only $320 a bottle.

Apparently one of the great things about the USA is the choice of property, there are even a few bargains to be had right now. According to forbes.com some properties are going for less last years asking price: it’s now possible to pick up a 21,897 square foot Jacobean manor for only $60 million, not the $125 million it was valued at last year!

So what to choose?  A Beverly Hills estate modeled after the Palace of Versailles for only $125 million, but who wants an imitation?  Albermarle House in West Virginia is on the market for only $100 million and looks charming, but 300 acres might be quite a lot to maintain, so my vote would have to go to Aaron Spelling’s home in Los Angeles. At $150 million it’s the most expensive home in the USA, but since it’s coming up the Christmas I think the dedicated present wrapping room is pretty essential, don’t you? The entire floor which is given over to closet space should just about be enough for all the nightgowns.